Ren points out the window, and I lean forward to see what the hell he’s looking at. I scan the area below us. Hundreds of miles of trees stretch from where we are and in every direction. There are no roads, no houses, just nothingness until I notice what looks to be an old fortress, half-built into the side of a snow-covered mountain.
From the little bit of research I was able to do on this place, I know it used to be a castle, left behind from when the Russians owned this land before the United States took it over in the late 1800s. I never could’ve guessed it was this isolated, though. Then again, that’s probably for the better if you’re housing the offspring of thousands of criminals.
“Whose idea was it to build a fucking university out here?” I ask the question out loud without realizing it.
“I’m pretty sure someone who wants to torture us. It’s the only sign of life I’ve seen this whole flight.”
My father told me the place was secluded, but I would never have anticipated this. Ren is right; we’re in the middle of nowhere. Most colleges are huge structures, elaborate and expensive-looking, drawing the attention of every graduating student like a beacon, but this place looks like an abandoned castle. Of course, that’s by design. A single road seemingly appears out of nowhere and winds up the mountainside, and a large stone wall separates the outside from the inside.
“We’re preparing to land.” The pilot’s voice comes over the intercom system.
“You ready?” Ren asks.
I turn in my seat, the finality of it all finally sinking in. I’m finally free, or at least a little bit free. I grin, knowing that at this place, my darkest desires and needs can be brought to light. Here I won’t have to hide the pain. I won’t have to pretend to exist. Anyone who gets in my way will become a target.
I suck a ragged breath into my lungs, my chest suddenly feeling lighter.
“I’m ready, but I doubt this place is ready for us.”
“Probably not.” Ren gives me an equally dark smile.
The lower we get, the better the view of the university becomes. I realize how massive the place is when we finally land and exit the helicopter. The structures that seemed so small are larger than they appeared so high up. My heart starts to race in my chest, the sound thundering in my ears.
From the helipad, we walk down a small path that leads into a tunnel, and the fact that this place was rebuilt to be a military base becomes readily apparent. After a short walk, we end up at an enormous door that looks as if it could withstand a direct bomb blast. Several checkpoints and guardhouses lead up to the entrance, and everyone gives us a chin nod as we walk by.
Rumor has it, the government had big plans for this place. Using and expanding on the underground tunnels already built, they were ready to move their troops in. They were less than happy when the founding members bought it right out from under their noses.
Nobody moves an inch from their posts or asks us for identification. I suppose when your father is who he is, you get special treatment. Not only is my father one of the most powerful criminals, he also pours a lot of money into this school.
“So is this a university, or are we walking into some secret society shit?” Ren nudges me with his shoulder.
“Both.”
Either way, a lot of money was put into this place to make it secure. Which, of course, makes it perfect for the type of activities that occur deep underground here.
It would be difficult to even get a satellite to focus here. Not that the government would do that. This place probably doesn’t exist to them…anymore.
A guard escorts us to the entryway through the large bomb-proof doors. Just inside are an identical set of metal doors with the university’s crest edged into it.
The double doors ahead of us open automatically, and Ren and I glance at each other. It’s not an awestruck look that we give each other, but more of a what the hell have we got ourselves into. My father provided us with information for our room and class schedule before we left, so there’s no need for us to stop anywhere or ask where to go next. We move deeper into the building, walking down the long corridor. The floors are polished marble, and the dim lighting gives the place a unique feel—like we’re being marched off to integration instead of our dorms.
Ahead are three elevators. Ren pushes the button, and the doors open immediately. We step inside, and I press the glowing C button, which is the level our room is on.
As the elevator doors open with a bing, Ren nudges me with his shoulder, holding his phone out to me. I look down and see there’s a map on the screen.
“At the end of this hall, we turn right, and our room should be on the left-hand side.”
I shrug. “I studied the map before we left. I’ve got most of this place mapped out in my mind.”
Ren shakes his head. He knows I like to be prepared.
We were each given a key card to get into our room before we left, and it was space we decided to share. We were both given the opportunity to have our own small one-bedroom apartment but decided against it. Ren isn’t the boyfriend type, so all I had to worry about was a random hookup here or there.
Neither of us is interested in anything other than mindless sex.
As we walk down the hall, I notice a few other students in the corridor, but none I recognize by face. As we pass them, I can feel their eyes on us, and I hate it. Hate feeling like they can see right through me, like they know me simply because of who my father is. Everyone knows my name and who my father is, but they don’tknowme. No one here knows me, the real me, and it’s going to stay that way.
There might be tons of high-profile criminal offspring in this place, but no one is more powerful than my father, and if that doesn’t scare them, then I certainly will.